Nicholas Fernandez

Nicholas ’s Contributions

About Nicholas Fernandez

Composer Nicholas Fernandez is unafraid to take chances on new instrumentation in writing jazz, classical, and genre bending works. Past commissions include “Sonata for Flute, Bassoon and Marimba,” “Five Scenes for Bass and Harp,” arrangements for Euphobia (a jazz ensemble featuring three Euphoniums and three Tubas), “Celtic Suite for Flutes and Feet” featuring a flute quartet and Irish step dancer, a duet for Horn and Marimba, and several compositions and arrangements for the Rowan University Lab Band, an ensemble of ever changing instrumentation that has featured French Horn, Bassoon, Cello, Bass Clarinet, Violin and Marimba alongside traditional jazz instruments.

His works combine influences from traditional and modern jazz, modern classical, and popular musics and have been performed internationally at venues including Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam Music Hall, Blue Note NYC, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola NYC, the International Association for Jazz Educators’ annual conference, National Flute Association’s annual conference, International Trumpet Guild annual conference, and high school jazz festivals throughout the Philadelphia region.

Along with his composition activities, Fernandez has obtained a Ph.D. in Jazz composition from New York University. At NYU, he was Fellowship recipient and the graduate assistant to Dr. David Schroeder, head of Jazz Studies. His research focuses on the orchestras of Duke Ellington and Stan Kenton at the end of the Swing Era.

Fernandez is a dedicated educator with several years of experience as a private composition and trumpet instructor, and has served as the director of the NYU Repertory Big Band. Also educated at Manhattan School of Music (M.M.) and Rowan University (B.M) in composition and performance, Fernandez has studied with Rich Shemaria, Ezequiel Viñao. Jim McNeely, Michael Abene, Michael Patterson, David Liebman, Phil Markowitz, Denis DiBlasio, George Rabbai, Bryan Appleby-Wineberg, and David Shapiro.